By any standard, NTR has already been well-remunerated for its investments in the M50 West-Link toll bridges. Instead of paying hundreds of millions to compensate for prematurely ending its tolling role on the M50, the Government should announce plans to build another bridge as part of the M50 widening. A new bridge and associated road works would cost less than �100 million and this should be used to benchmark the maximum compensation payable to NTR.
In practice, a new bridge should not be needed to break NTL's monopoly as the threat should enable the Government negotiate a fair deal for the taxpayer. However, if needs be, a new bridge could be built within three years. Bear in mind that the southbound bridge which opened in 2003 cost, according to NTR's website, only �23 million and took just two years to build.
In practice, a new bridge should not be needed to break NTL's monopoly as the threat should enable the Government negotiate a fair deal for the taxpayer. However, if needs be, a new bridge could be built within three years. Bear in mind that the southbound bridge which opened in 2003 cost, according to NTR's website, only �23 million and took just two years to build.
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